Fulvous Whistling Duck

The fulvous whistling duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) is a large, oddly-shaped duck from the whistling subfamily. It lives across the tropical regions of four continents, inhabiting lowland marshes and swamps in rice fields. This species spends its days walking and swimming through water, searching for aquatic plants. Often, you will find them in small family groups or larger mixed-species flocks. Learn more about this whistling duck, including where it lives, what it eats, and how it behaves.

5 Amazing Fulvous Whistling Duck Facts

• You can find the fulvous whistling duck along the Gulf Coast and Southern Florida in the United States.
• They avoid wooded and mountainous areas, preferring flat, open country in flooded rice fields.
• They build a ramp from their nest, which leads to a nearby water source.
• Fulvous means “reddish-yellow,” which describes the duck’s coloring.
• Whistling duck parents will defend their nests by flapping their wings, biting, and kicking.

Where to Find the Fulvous Whistling Duck

Fulvous whistling ducks inhabit parts of North America, South America, Africa, and Asia, living in over 70 countries, including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, India, and Kenya. This species breeds in tropical regions worldwide, including the Southern United States, South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and India. In the United States, you will primarily find them along the Gulf Coast in Texas, Louisiana, and Southern Florida. Their habitats include lowland marshes and swamps in rice fields. They prefer flat, open country rather than wooded or mountainous areas.

Fulvous Whistling Duck Nest

Males and females choose the nesting site, typically in weedy rice fields among weeds and grasses or on floating vegetation. They construct a platform using stalks and dead marsh grasses, forming a bowl shape and building a ramp that leads to a water source. They add more material as the original begins to sink or decay.

Classification and Scientific Name

The fulvous whistling duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) belongs to the Anseriformes order in the Anatidae family, encompassing water birds like ducks, geese, and swans. The Dendrocygna genus comprises the whistling ducks or tree ducks. Dendron is Ancient Greek for “tree,” and Cygnus is Latin for “swan.” The specific name, bicolor, is Latin for “two-colored.” The common name, fulvous, is reddish-yellow, which describes the duck’s coloring. The fulvous whistling duck has no recognized subspecies.

Size, Appearance, & Behavior

The fulvous whistling duck is a large, long-legged tree duck with odd proportions. This bird measures 18 to 21 inches long and weighs 25 to 37 ounces, with a 33 to 40-inch wingspan. It’s similar in size to a mallard, except it has a longer neck and legs, with a relatively long bill. This species is varying shades of brown, with a rich buff or fulvous-colored head, neck, and breast. Their wings and backs have broad black bars, and their flanks have long white stripes. A dark brown or black line runs from the crown to the base of the mantle. Females have similar colors, except they feature duller plumage. 

These noisy birds give a clear whistling call, “Kee-wee-ooo,” on the ground or while in flight. They are social birds who often flock together in small family groups and nest with other duck pairs. The fulvous duck will also mix with other whistling species outside the breeding season. The subfamily of whistling ducks is often distinguishable in flight due to their large feet and long legs, which trail behind them. They are strong fliers and readily take flight, traveling relatively fast. However, their speed is unknown.

Migration Pattern and Timing

The fulvous whistling duck is a short-distance migrant or year-round resident in its environment. They breed along the Gulf Coast and in the West Indies; breeding in Southern California is now rare or no longer occurs regularly. They also live year-round in Mexico, the Bahamas, and parts of Central America. It moves seasonally in its South American, African, and Asian ranges in response to wet seasons.

Diet

The fulvous whistling duck is an omnivore that forages day or night with mixed-species flocks. 

What Does the Fulvous Whistling Duck Eat?

Their diet consists primarily of aquatic plants and grass seeds, but they will also eat bulbs, stems, and grasses. During breeding, females include aquatic insects, worms, and mollusks to prepare for egg-laying. They forage by picking through plant items while walking, swimming, and diving underwater. You will likely find them searching for food in damp rice fields.

Predators, Threats, and Conservation Status

The IUCN lists the fulvous whistling duck as LC or “least concern”. Due to its extensive range and large population, this species does not meet the “threatened” status criteria. The biggest threats to this duck include hunting, trapping, pesticide ingestion, collisions with power lines, and habitat loss and degradation from damming and invasive freshwater plants. 

What Eats the Fulvous Whistling Duck?

Their primary predators include red foxes, northern harriers, raccoons, and bobcats. Skunks and raccoons are common nest predators of fulvous whistling ducks. But these duck parents defend their young by beating their wings, biting, and kicking.

Reproduction, Young, and Molting

Fulvous whistling ducks form monogamous pair bonds and many mate with one partner for life. Their courtship involves aerial displays and paired swimming. Females lay an average of 12 to 14 white eggs, which they occasionally drop in other birds’ nests from different species. Both sexes take turns incubating for 24 to 26 days, but may leave the eggs unattended on warm days. Their young are relatively independent shortly after hatching and can dive, swim, and find food. They fledge the nest around two months and become sexually mature after one year. These ducks typically live 6 to 10 years, with a maximum recorded lifespan of about 11 years.

Population

The global fulvous whistling duck population is estimated to number 1.3 to 1.5 million mature individuals. Most global populations are decreasing, but North America shows an increasing trend. The decline doesn’t appear rapid enough to change their status to “threatened.”